Investment Biker

Around the World with Jim Rogers

By: Jim Rogers

Narrated by: John McLain

Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Legendary investor Jim Rogers gives us his view of the world on a 22-month, 52-country motorcycle odyssey in his best-selling business/adventure book, Investment Biker, which has already sold more than 200,000 copies.

Before you invest another dollar anywhere in the world (including the United States), read this book by the man Time magazine calls "the Indiana Jones of finance".

Jim Rogers became a Wall Street legend when he co-founded the Quantum Fund. Investment Biker is the fascinating story of Rogers’s global motorcycle journey/investing trip, with hardheaded advice on the current state and future direction of international economies that will guide and inspire investors interested in foreign markets.

©1994 Beeland Interests, Inc. (P)2013 Audible Inc.

Trigger warning: Jealous types should avoid!

Jim Rogers is in his 40s in 1990. He has a 22 year old beautiful blonde girlfriend who is perfect in every way. Jim is an avid long distance motorcycle rider.

Jim is also richer than Midas. He thinks nothing of dropping by the local BMW dealer to pick up a new motorcycle on a whim, or buying a small country. He and his girlfriend decide to spend a couple of years traveling around the world on motorycycles.

If the thought of someone like that bothers you, avoid this book!

This book is about 70% travelogue, and a really good one, especially for motorcycle riders. Jims trip makes 'The Long Way Round' look like a run to the grocery store.

Really, 1990 wasn't that long ago, but it was about two years before the World Wide Web existed beyond academia. Jim spends a lot of time just trying to discover information about conditions in the next country, or keeping track of his personal finances while on the road. All stuff that you can do on a Smart Phone from just about anywhere these days.

This ride was a real accomplishment and required assets that money can't buy.

The other 30% is discussion of national and global macroeconomics from a libertarian point of view. In each country Jim visits he discusses the local economic and political climate from the perspective of a potential large investor. He also makes a lot of predictions, many of which subsequently came true. For example, after traveling the full length of the USSR he correctly predicted the near term breakup of the Soviet Union.

He also predicted that Bill Clinton would be the last Democratic Party President, which of course didn't happen. He predicted that the U.S. economy was nearing collaspe, which hasn't happened yet.

I think Jim did not foresee the huge peace dividend that flowed in to the United States after the fall of the Berlin Wall, which powered a lot economic growth through the 90s.

Few will agree with all of Jim's analysis, predictions, and observations of human nature. But everyone with an interest in travel (especially travel by motorcycle), economics, politics, human cultures or just good stories will probably enjoy this book.

John McLain's narration and the overall production values of this audiobook were outstanding, it was a pleasure to listen to.

Horrible drivel

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

A right-wing ultra capitalist.

What could Jim Rogers have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Limit himself to a few main ideas he wants to push through, as is, Jim fires of a scatter gun of pretty wild and outrageous geopolitical and economic ideas.I get the feeling he's hoping for at least one of them to turn into reality just so he can say, "I knew that would happen, I wrote it in a book."

How could the performance have been better?

The narration is pretty horrible, all vowels at the end of sentences are doubled which gives the narration a very choppy rhythm.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Investment Biker?

All the supposed "random" meetings with people who exactly mirror Jims own opinion.The nonsense about humanitarian aid stemming the "entrepreneurial spirit" of starving people was an insult to anyone with any humanity.

Any additional comments?

He actually claims that he wants his trip to be completely serendipitous, still he just happens to stumble upon people who mirrors his exact views on everything.What are the odds of stumbling upon a soon to be capitalist in Soviet communist Siberia who that same day is resigning from the communist party?And what exactly was Jim doing in a Moscow kindergarten where he "serendipitously" happens to meet a dissident from a labour camp who prophesied the fall of the Soviet Union.
After a few of these supposed random encounters you really start to question the credibility of this publication on anything but Jim's own views and opinions.

Perspective gained from the road

One of the best ways to travel is by motorcycle. The wind in your hair. A beautiful young co-ed named Tabitha by your side and a couple of years off to visit 52 countries. The BMW was the bike of choice due to being able to find spare parts and mechanics all over the world. Along the way Jim discovers that roads in eastern Russia are not so good. He is extorted by a raft operator in the Congo.He finds Botswana to be a friendly country with a small stock market and buys shares in the few listings available. Jim looks for opportunity. If everyone is jumping in it is probably too late. On the other hand many times he has had a great feel for what will happen and he profits hansomely. What a journey and I wouldnt do it, but Jim did and it was exciting and along the way there are simple lessons on money that Jim has to impart.

Tonal inflection of narration doesn't match author

Excellent true story. However narrator was reaching for drama rather than sensibility and plain talk which is the strength of the author.

What a contrast Rogers versus sorros

So even though it's a journey a long time ago, 30 yrs, It's just great fun. If one had a spaceship and could go to different planets it would be similar to what Jim did with his motorcycle and companion. Each country is an intentional community, with a history and culture and set of rules that either encourage or discourage fiscal responsibility. Jim does a good job of simply telling the story of traveling through China, Russia , Africa , South America , Central America and contrasts that to the shortcomings of his home the United States. Of course, eventually we know the Jim moved to Singapore and that's the ultimate message.

Wish I had found this book 20 years ago

Would you consider the audio edition of Investment Biker to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version

What other book might you compare Investment Biker to and why?

Adventure Capitalist

What about John McLain’s performance did you like?

Good voice for the story

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction, but does make you want to get on the road

Any additional comments?

Perfect mix of economics 101, real politics, and adventure.

A great adventure tale peppered with investment advice

10/10 book. Jim tells a great story of his adventures around the globe. I especially liked hearing about cities that I visited since the book has been written in finding out how they’ve changed from first-hand experience. He also gives matter-of-fact investment advice, and you get a real look in the how he thinks about the investing world. Good or bad seems honest and that’s something I appreciate in a book.

Stereotypical Crass materialist and apologist

With some interesting takes on economics and economies, but with a simple minded take on civilizations, societies and humanity.

Fun way of teaching

The was a very fun and different way of teaching macro economics by the author.

The adventure of a lifetime

I really enjoyed this. It's equal parts memoir, travelogue, and Capitalist Manifesto chronicling an around the world motorcycle trip just after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Not a journey I'd like to take myself, but one I was delighted to follow

Light on useful or entertaining content

If you're already quite right wing and want to indulge in the echo-chamber media, absolutely go for it.
But in all honesty, you probably already know you 'hate commies', don't like 'bleeding heart liberals', 'fundamentally disagree with helping the poor' and refer to people in a derogatory way as 'the blacks' or 'the muslims', so you're not going to learn anything from this book.
You absolutely aren't going to learn anything relevant about investing or travel as I had hoped for. Not least of all because it seems to be hopelessly out of date, but I seriously doubt there would have been anything useful in there at the time of writing, not least of all as the majority of the predications Jim has made, in hindsight have not happened.
So, bottom line, if you're white and yearn for our colonial past, this book is an absolute must, you will love it.
If you want to learn something useful, look elsewhere.

Great story and economic analogy

Through this book I was able to understand the differences in the different countries around the world through a great motorcycle adventure. Even though the story was great, at the end of the book it felt like the pace went much quicker. Also heard at 8:09:22 a woman saying desk, which was probably a recording mistake?
The adventure, the economic and investment ideas were very helpful to understand more about the shares in a country. The last portion of advice to the American economic situation was also good, which no made me want to investigate more about it.
Recommend the book to every person who likes adventure and economics.

Highly recommended

A book everyone should read/listen. Narration is excellent.

Borders aren’t ever lasting. Politicians will do anything for votes. It’s only the people and there their stamina to take shit can get you out of the shit politicians put you in.

Excellent book

excellent 👌

A great way to get your head around macro economics. Forget the era it was written in and listen to the messaging on how capitalism works. Fascinating insights.

Good

Good book, entertaining stories, things to learn. Unfortunately reader sounds like a smug. Not sure if he tries to be sexy or dramatic but it is quite annoying. Maybe it's because I live in place where arrogant people talk like that. You decide

Live every moment on Jim Rogers's journey

Well presented story... It's an eye opener to cultural differences and economic potential as seen and assessed by Jim. Very informative too. I enjoyed listening to every single second of this book. Highly recommended.